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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

THE STORY OF STEVE “SIRDROPALOT” NICANDER – THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

Steve before

I had the honor of meeting Steve Nicander at the recent IDEA World Fitness Convention in Los Angeles. It took me only a split second to decide to do an interview with him. I wanted to know, how someone so close to death, could find in him the inner strength to get up and fight. How someone sentenced to living in a chair or in bed, could find the motivation to “exercise”. How do you even do it when you weigh over 600 lbs?

I hear excuses from people, some of my clients not excluded, that they really don’t have time to exercise, they have this condition or that, the gym is too far away, it is too cold or too hot,they are too busy, too tired, too everything. How does a person like Steve, manage to lose close to 400 lbs, without being able to really “move”? If anyone could have had excuses, HE should have been the first person to have them, yet once he had made up his mind, he never gave up. I wanted to know more about his journey; what led to his morbid obesity; what was his life like; what made him finally decide to lose the weight for good. I wanted to know more about the impact Dr. Daniel Amen’s book had on him since I met Dr. Amen personally at the IDEA fitness convention.

Here’s Steve’s amazing story:

Contrary to what most people might think, Steve was not a child of obese parents. According to him, they would probably be considered just slightly overweight by today’s standards. Both his mother and grandmother were Old World cooks who relied on simple whole foods for nourishment. Junk food was nonexistent in the house and convenience foods, like sodas and the like, were not allowed. However, the external environment, school being one of the main places, provided enough temptation for the young boy to give into and then hide the facts from his family. As a result, at age 11, Steve was already overweight. From that point on, it only got worse. As it turned out quite recently, part of the initial reason for his weight gain were incorrect hormone levels which were most likely out of balance his entire life. To make matters worse, he was a musician at the time, which made unhealthy lifestyle choices, like drinking and smoking, even more accessible. A combination of low thyroid, as well as low testosterone, created a double whammy, but it was not until depression set in during his teens, that the situation went completely out of control. He turned to alcohol for solace putting in hundreds of empty calories on a daily basis. It was a deadly combination. As hard as it is to believe, at his worst, Steve would consume an entire 0.75L of 100 proof vodka and a half gallon of orange juice every day. He reached his highest weight at age 38, tipping the scales at 638 lbs.

I asked him what factors, in his opinion, led to such morbid obesity: nutritional, physical, psychological, all the above or maybe other. According to him, all three played a significant role, and created a vicious cycle. Asked what inside him allowed this to happen, he responded that depression was the key factor which progressed, along with the weight gain, until he became suicidal and simply stopped caring. He wanted his pain and suffering to cease and was hoping his demise would come quick. He contemplated suicide, but as ludicrous as it might sound, his gun was stored upstairs and he couldn’t get to it, as he was unable to walk up the stairs. When I heard that, I was curious what his life was like during all those years, as it’s easy to imagine that someone with obesity of that level would be hugely limited to just a few basic activities. In Steve’s words, ‘he was barely living at all’. He described his existence as dull and sedentary, with his only links to the outside world being TV, music and computer. One expression in particular, moved me with its incredible sense of reality and tragic: “It was like being trapped within myself and my own internal prison, my personal hell’.

You probably wonder what went through his mind; what feelings stirred inside him; did he hate himself. As you might imagine, there were not many positive feelings: self-loathing, hatred, anxiety, and anger towards himself, society and the whole world. He could not stand getting his picture taken or seeing himself in the mirror for years on end. He didn’t care what other people, including his friends and family, said or thought. Numbness was the overwhelming emotion and the desire for his torturous life of misery to end as soon as possible.

I asked him if he attempted any diets at that time, and if so, were any of them successful. Did he have a plan, if any, for solving the problem? Did he ever ask for help?

Steve, like most people trying to lose weight, tried every single diet he could get his hands on, every Over-The-Counter drug and prescription diet and weight loss pill, as well as cookbooks and various programs. The results were very slight at best – ten pounds here and there, but nothing more. He didn’t have a plan, nor did he care to even think of one. He tried to get some help through information he could find on the computer or in books, but never really reached out to people, except his personal physicians. Those, however, knowing how touchy the subject must have been for him, didn’t even broach it more than a couple times. Steve didn’t really want help, until he was ready to actually do something.

From my own experience with clients, it is never a lack of resources or willingness of others to help, but a lack of willingness on the part of the person in question to accept it. In my opinion, it is useless, in most cases, to try to help someone who is not ready, and Steve was no exception. When I asked him what brought on the final decision to lose weight for good, it turned out it was pain. His neuropathy became so severe that he knew unless he changed his life AND his lifestyle, his health would never improve. At that time, he also suffered from insomnia, and after a 3 week long bout of not sleeping, he finally decided to end the 25 year alcohol addiction, which was a huge contributor to the problem. It was the first step on the path to well-being.

How did he go about the whole process? At the time, he was staying at a physical rehabilitation center following one of many hospital stays. There he bought a laptop computer and started researching the most natural ways of reversing and curing his numerous conditions: morbid obesity itself, as well as all the chronic diseases it brought on. These included COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), arthritis, type 2 diabetes and neuropathy. A couple of months into his journey, his sister Sabrina, who had been his rock through the whole process, bought him a book by Dr. Daniel Amen, entitled “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body”. In it Dr. Amen explains that by giving the brain the right nutrients, as well as some important natural supplements, plenty of water and exercise, the body will actually heal itself, solving the weight issues and reversing disease. The book played a key role in introducing Steve to the concept of whole foods and nutrients they bring. He also used information he learned from Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. David Kessler among others. These are all doctors who use the same approach.

Steve, before the weight loss, with his sister Sabrina

I wanted to know what the first changes he made were, and which made the biggest difference on his road to recovery. The answer didn’t surprise me, and confirmed the one thing I have always advocated to all of my clients – WHOLE, ORGANIC FOODS. Steve completely eliminated processed foods and any “white” foods from his diet, and reduced his sugar intake, bad fats and sodium, THE BIG 3, as he calls them. Since reversal of disease was essential for him, he learned from his research that he had to rely on organic whole foods in order to make the biggest impact on his health and bring on the quickest results. These turned out to be almost immediate – he lost 156 lbs in 4 months and managed to cure his diabetes.

As a Holistic Lifestyle and Nutrition Coach, I deal with the challenges people come across on a daily basis, exercise being one of them. Most are a lot less difficult to overcome than people imagine them to be. This was the first time, however, that I truly saw the magnitude of the challenge, and how much inner strength and determination it must have taken to overcome it. Imagine a body weighing nearly 650 lbs. How can one exercise if one can barely walk? Nearly impossible! Well, Steve turned out to be quite ingenious; he started to improvise by “dancing” in his recliner with wrist and ankle weights and dumbbells, in an effort to raise his heart rate and start sweating in order to burn some fat.

We take so many things for granted. Many people still think that taking a walk outside, or doing a short workout on the treadmill, is torture. Well, sometimes it’s good to see things from a slightly different perspective.

I wondered what Steve’s biggest motivation was then, what it is now and whether it changed at all through the whole process. It turns out, at the beginning it was the weight itself disappearing as quickly as it did, and the 4-month weigh-in that showed a 156 lbs loss. It changed everything for him, because he quickly realized he had basically saved his life. He also saw the potential to help other people, going through the same issues, help themselves. To do that, he started his own Facebook group, Steve’s Massive Weight Loss Fan Page, posting information, articles and various tips on weight loss. By now, it has turned into a life passion he is pursuing by trying to reach as many people across the country and the world as possible.

No matter how successful one might be in as daunting an endeavor as an attempt to lose 450-some pounds, something has to keep them going, since the road is not always easy. Many roadblocks occur on the way, and only the most patient, resilient and committed remain until the end of the race. So what, you might wonder, kept Steve going this whole time? It was the knowledge that other people in need were using his information with great success. Presently, Steve is working on his own reality TV series that he hopes to pitch in the coming months, called Big Dreams. The show will focus on teaching viewers about healthy lifestyle habits that lead to successful weight loss and general wellness. This project has given his life a real purpose. In his own words: "Every time (…) I tell my story, I know I touch people and their lives….his is a huge reason to keep doing what I am now doing!"

One of my questions to Steve was about the dramatic change in his daily life. How different was his life now? What was he actually eating these days? How has his relationship to food changed? The difference between his life now and then is enormous. From bed-ridden, depressed, suicidal alcoholic he transformed himself into a real health activist, safe foods advocate, motivational speaker, moderator, writer and producer of a potential TV show. His life will never be the same mundane existence as years before. Now, every day is a new challenge and a new adventure. And although he was close to death on many occasions, he thinks he was allowed to survive for a reason, and he takes his mission very seriously.

His relationship to food also changed dramatically for the better. Food has become fuel, as it’s intended to be, as well as “medication”. He wholeheartedly believes, as much as I do, in the words of Hippocrates, the Father of Nutritional Healing and Modern Medicine, that state: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Presently, Steve consumes large amounts of vegetables, and moderate amounts of fruit, seeds, and anything Mother Nature produces. What a change! From a malnourished alcoholic to a veggie munching happy camper. J

I am always curious what people learn from their life journeys. What do they learn about themselves? The whole process becomes an important life lesson and, more often than not, it’s a total transformation. Steve’s was no exception. He learned one of the most valuable lessons one can ever learn: that he was a lot stronger and more resilient than he ever gave himself credit for. He quotes one of his favorite sayings: “You never realize the strength of a Man until you see him at his weakest moment”. In the last year he has finally accepted himself and begun to love himself again. Now, he is trying to pay forward that love to others, to make them realize that by making necessary changes, they too, can transform and save their lives. He learned something that I have believed for many years now - that the solution to chronic disease and illness is a lot simpler than medical science is trying to make it out to be; that by removing chemicals from our bodies (which include medications and alcohol), and relying on NATURAL MEANS, like food, water and specific supplements, we can get a handle on the obesity epidemic in America. However, this will only happen when we can finally understand that we have full control of our health. The choices we make have a direct impact on what quality of health we are going to have. Human body was created to exist and thrive in a state of wellness, and when given proper nutrients and much needed movement, it is amazingly brilliant at healing itself. It is what we DO and DON’T DO that leads to disease and ill health.

I asked Steve what advice he would give to people who struggle with morbid obesity or any weight problems in general. Here’s what he had to say: “Realize that each and every one of you has the capability within yourself to make the necessary changes (…) to reverse pain, depression, anxiety, illness, weight gain and disease….” The way to achieve this is to start relying on Whole Food Nutrition, exercise and lots of good quality water. When it comes to exercise, especially in case of people who do not have the capacity to participate in more serious fitness activities, ANY type of consistent movement that allows the metabolism to be boosted will be meaningful. It will help to transform the body, if regular schedule is maintained. FITNESS is essential for optimum health and wellness.

Steve weighs 260 pounds at the moment. It has taken him over 2 years to get there. At the time of the interview (beginning of September), he was 22 pounds away from losing 400 LBS. He still can’t quite believe it. To date, he has done over 400 hours of nutritional research, mostly on his own, and has used the information given to him by experts in the field as well as many extraordinary people he has met during his amazing journey back to health.

Steve’s dream is to see the transformation happen all over America, see the real change in a country that is struggling with an epidemic of not only obesity, but also chronic disease. Ways to address these problems are simpler than many of us realize, or want to admit.

After having been in the health and fitness field for over 20 years, it is my belief, that although people have a free will, our current healthcare and medical system is partially to blame, along with insurance companies, Big Pharma, food industry, agricultural corporations, and advertising industry, just to name a few. This formidable force perpetuates greed to its very core. Greed is an extremely strong driving force for many and very difficult to stop. We have done so much damage already. If something does not change soon, it may be too late. Humans were designed to fight and resist disease, but this country is helping them to fail at every step of the way. Disease is spoon-fed to us from every angle. Instead of promoting disease-causing Franken-foods and chemically laden poison, we should be promoting farmers markets that sell organic food, community supported agriculture and co-ops. We need to promote healthy natural foods in schools all over the country, teach sustainable gardening and farming wherever possible, and rely on Nature to feed us, rather than technology and artificial, processed foods. We should be promoting health by means of prevention, through exercise and fitness in schools, instead of taking them out of the system. We need to fight for the safety of our food supply, and realize that things like pesticides, hormones, unnatural animal feeds and GMOs (genetically modified foods) should be banned before they get out of control and we are left with no natural foods on this planet. There is obviously a reason why so many countries have banned them already. All this is taking a huge toll on our youth, and childhood obesity, along with diabetes, are reaching epidemic proportions. When we create disease so early on in the young, what will this country look like when they become adults? The perspective is scary and the future looks bleak. Now, more than ever, we need all the knowledgeable, empowered people to stand up united and fight back to claim our health. It is not enough to think and talk about it. We have to act upon it and each and every one of us has to take responsibility for our own health.

HEALTH IS NOT A STATE OF MIND; IT’S A STATE OF BEING!

I know Steve agrees with me.

Steve after losing 378 lbs, at the IDEA World Fitness Convention

If you would like to contact Steve, please visit one of his websites or Facebook pages, or call him directly. You can also watch a trailer on his You Tube channel. Here’s all the information:

In the last couple of posts I talked about two famous people. Today I want to talk about someone who may not be as famous, but who has been changing people’s lives for quite some time. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the recent IDEA World Fitness Convention where he gave a standing- ovation presentation to an audience of 5000 health and fitness professionals. His name is Dr. Daniel Amen.

Dr. Amen is a psychiatrist and a neuroscientist, who has shown in his research and his clinics that aging of the human brain can be reversed with a combination of healthy diet and exercise. He is the author of two best-selling books: “Change your brain, change your life”, and “The Amen Solution. The Secret to Being Thinner, Smarter, Happier”. He runs clinics in Newport Beach, CA and San Francisco, CA and will be opening two more in Washington, DC and New York, NY shortly. Dr. Amen walks the talk. He is slim, fit, and full of energy. He exercises regularly and insists on eating a healthy diet no matter what the occasion. He was just getting ready to leave for a vacation in Spain, with his suitcase full of healthy snacks, in case the typical Spanish fare of fried foods was all that was available. His beautiful wife is also involved in spreading the results of his research by coaching people in healthy nutrition and teaching them how to cook in a brain-healthy way. She also has a DVD on the subject.

As someone who has been in the health and fitness industry for 20 years, I have my own observations on how diet and exercise affect us. I have had enough time to experiment with myself and learn from my clients, as well as my family and friends. I have always believed that proper nutrition and regular exercise is responsible for a lot more than keeping one slim and attractive looking. It helps us function at our best; it gives clarity of mind and makes focusing easier; it gives us energy, it keeps us healthy; it gives us clear and healthy looking skin, it brings confidence and high self-esteem; it prevents many diseases; it slows down aging; it allows us to enjoy life more fully and be more active participants in it; etc., etc. Considering the profession I am in, I obviously know how much diet and exercise affect our physical health. I have also been familiar with some studies of how lack of proper nutrition and exercise impacts the brain and its susceptibility to certain diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s, but until now I was not familiar with studies showing that brain damage or changes caused by unhealthy lifestyle are actually reversible. Dr. Amen shared with us some success stories as well as slides of actual brain changes, many of them following a fairly short period of a specifically designed healthy diet plan and regular exercise. Had I not seen them myself, I would have argued that these were not changes that were possible to make in such short periods of time, with such seemingly simple means. Not only did his patients lose weight, normalize their blood numbers, reverse diabetes and decrease their risk of many diseases but it almost looked as if the brain repaired itself. Some of the slides showed people who are well known personalities in America. These stories are real.

No story, however, is more real than that of Steve Nicander who, following Dr. Amen’s diet plan, lost close to 400 lbs. Steve used to weigh 638 lbs. In his worst moments, when contemplating suicide, he couldn’t even get upstairs to get his gun. His life did not show much promise, until he read Dr. Amen’s book. Steve was there in front of us – 5000 fitness professionals who gave him a standing ovation. Choked up with emotion, his hand on his heart, he bowed to us in deep appreciation - a truly changed man. In a way, he reminds me of both Jack LaLanne and Apolo Ohno. They all showed tremendous resolve to achieve what they wanted in order to make their life better and healthier. All three met with different challenges and road blocks, yet all found the inner strength and motivation to push their body beyond what many never could.

YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. NO ONE CAN CHANGE IT BUT YOU.

(I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve about his amazing journey to health and will be sharing this interview on the blog.)

To learn more about Dr. Daniel Amen and his work, please visit his website at: www.amenclinics.com. You can also join him on Facebook at: The Amen Solution or Dr. Daniel Amen. You can find his books on www.amazon.com or by going to the above mentioned website.

In my last blog I talked about the amazing Jack LaLanne, and the IDEA Inspiration Award he received from the organization, for inspiring so many people across America to take control of their health by incorporating exercise and good nutrition into their lives.

Today I want to talk about someone very different, yet so similar to Jack in many ways.

Every year, during the World Fitness Convention, Peter and Kathie Davis, the founders of IDEA, invite someone to speak to a few thousand health and fitness professionals gathered for the convention. It is always someone who has put their special mark on the fields of sport, fitness or health, or someone whose career has had a real impact on the above fields.

This year, IDEA invited APOLO OHNO. If you’re a sports fan, you have inevitably heard of him. Apolo Ohno is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time, having won eight medals for short-track speed skating. He is a twelve-time holder of the men’s national speed skating title. He is not an average man. His story is unique……

Apolo was raised by a single father, a hard working immigrant from Japan. A wild and rebellious teenager who loved to ice skate, he discovered his natural gifts as an athlete early on. His wild nature and talent for sports proved difficult to balance from the start. He made a name for himself as a promising young speed skater but his lack of preparation for the Olympic trials in 1998 caused him to finish last. This almost ended his career before it began. At the tender age of fifteen, he was approached by his father and asked to go into solitary “confinement” so he would have a chance to think about what he really wanted to do with his life. He spent nine days in an isolated house up in the mountains, all by himself, facing his worst demons and fears. Those nine days of soul-searching were probably the most important and life-changing days of his life. His father asked him to call to be picked up once he had made a decision. And he did. The decision was a complete and unrelenting recommitment to speed skating. As a result, “… at the 1999 world junior championships he won first place overall – one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports history. From that moment on, the world of speed skating had a new champion and Apolo was on his way to legendary status”. (1)

In front of 5000 people, he shared his amazing story of strength, discipline, self-sacrifice and never wavering devotion to training. He knew who he wanted to be. He knew he wanted to be the best in the world. For many years it required almost total isolation. He did not have a normal life; he could not afford distractions. He surrounded himself only with people involved directly in his training: coaches, trainers, mentors and others. Before the 2010 Winter Olympics, the regime of almost inhumanly intense training sessions and extremely precise diet completely reshaped his body. He had to learn how to achieve total focus and mental toughness in order to be able to face the best competitors on the planet, with millions of people watching his every move.

This training came in handy later on, when he was asked to compete in Dancing with the Stars. According to Apolo, no sports competition, no Olympics with its billion viewers, brought on as much fear as dancing in front of the audience of a few million. He had to face his demons again. And he did, the only way he knew how – by hard work and becoming the best. He later won the competition on the show. Yet another victory.

How did a person in his 20-ies achieve all this? How did he endure the years of tough preparations and sacrifices it required? By making a decision about who he wanted to be and what he wanted his life to be and following that path precisely. By hard work and commitment to his training AND his health. His efforts paid off in more ways than one. His goal was to have zero regrets. He has none. What a great thing to be able to say!

What does it really take to be successful? What does it take to be good? What does it take to be the best?

Both Apolo Ohno and Jack LaLanne showed that it takes incredible courage and inner strength to achieve amazing results – whether it’s weight training, losing weight, eating healthy or winning medals. In a way, they are all the same. All require that first initial decision, that first step so many of us are afraid of taking. And above all, they require a never-ending commitment. Rewards always wait for us at the end. The doors are always open. You just have to enter.

For Apolo’s own account of his life story, please read his recently published book: “Zero Regrets. Be Greater Than Yesterday”.

Recently, I attended the biggest annual event in the fitness industry – the IDEA World Fitness Convention, in Los Angeles. I have been a fan of the convention for many years, with its amazing array of lectures, workshops and workouts, as well as a large scale expo showcasing everything new and hot in the fitness world.

IDEA Health and Fitness Association will be celebrating its 30-th anniversary next year. I am proud to be a member of the organization that has helped bring the status of health and fitness professionals of every specialty to a completely new and higher level. The organization has 55,000 members worldwide and 5000 of them were present at the recent convention. It is not only inspiring to see so many like-minded people under one roof, but more than anything, it is uplifting and heartwarming to see that so many people of all ages, from all over the world, are committed to spreading the word about health through exercise. Now, more than ever before, the world needs us, as obesity epidemic, as well diabetes, heart disease and other lifestyle related diseases, have reached alarming proportions.

“INSPIRE THE WORLD TO FITNESS” is the recent initiative undertaken by IDEA. It has met with great enthusiasm on the part of all of us who see the devastating results of the health crisis worldwide. Each year, during a special keynote address, the organization honors individuals who, in some special way, have inspired the world to fitness and health. This year, IDEA bestowed an inaugural Jack LaLanne Award, though posthumously, to Jack LaLanne for introducing the country to weight training and helping to spread the knowledge about the importance of regular physical activity.

JACK LALANNE was 97 years old when he died of complications from pneumonia. His sudden death came almost as a shock since he was always a symbol of eternal health and longevity. A sickly teenager, who lived on a diet of sweets,in rather poor health, whose doctors did not predict a long life, was so inspired by a lecture by one of the famous nutritionists of the 1930-ies, Paul Bragg that he changed his diet almost instantaneously and started working out on a regular basis. Within a short period of time, he realized that his life had changed forever. The incredible strength, vigor and energy, and almost inhuman acts of endurance he became known for, were well documented by the US and world media for many years. He was the first person to have an exercise show on TV. He opened the first real weight training gym in Northern California. He was the one to develop many of the exercise machines currently used in health clubs. He was a spokes person for healthy nutrition and daily exercise, often before doctors knew much about either one. In the early years, many of them spoke furiously against him and his recommendations. He was the one to prove, year after year, that one’s age doesn’t matter when it comes to working out – whether you are young or old, a man or a woman. He showed that exercise, and especially strength training, has amazing anti-aging benefits: being old doesn’t have to mean being weak, sick, and dependant. He set out to prove, by his own example, that if one pays attention to good nutrition and takes care of one’s body, one can remain youthful, energetic, and full of stamina well into the 90-ies and beyond. He worked out every day in the early morning to remain in great condition until his death. His contribution to the health of Americans (and most likely many other people around the world who had heard of him), has been enormous.

Jack’s wife Elaine accepted the award on his behalf. At 85 years old, she is one vibrant and spunky lady. After giving her acceptance speech and sharing some jokes and interesting stories about Jack, she dropped on the floor and started doing push-ups to standing ovation from the audience.

Jack LaLanne will always remain a symbol of health and, one might say, immortality. But in my mind, more than anything, he will remain a symbol of inner strength and strong motivation it takes to make the decision to be healthy. All of us are capable of it, yet so few of us chose this path. It is not easy, and sometimes requires sacrifices, but in the end it can bring everlasting rewards.

If all of us take care of our own health, there will be so much less suffering in the world; fewer diseases and debilitating conditions; less money spent on health care; more quality time to spend with our families and friends; and more time to enjoy life for all it has to offer.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN HEALTH. YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION TO BE HEALTHY. YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO IT. NOW IS YOUR CHANCE.

The story of Apolo Ohno – an Olympic athlete with zero regrets – coming in the next blog post.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

West LA Fitness Expert and Personal Trainer Monika Tarkowska-Carter, owner of of Fitness Science, Inc. answers your fitness questions. Today, she tackles the best exercises for your butt, arms, hips, etc. Get the low-down on weight loss, toning, and overall good health and well being.